Flexible Typesetting

A Book Apart #27

by Tim Brown

For the first time in hundreds of years, because of the web, the role of the typographer has changed. We no longer decide; we suggest. We no longer simply choose typefaces, font sizes, line spacing, and margins; we prepare and instruct text to make those choices for itself. In this book, Tim Brown illuminates the complex, beautiful world of typesetting—arguably the most important part of typography because it forms the backbone of the reading experience—and shows us how to parry the inevitable pressures that arise when we can no longer predict how, and where, our text will be read.

Genres: Design, Nonfiction, Website Design, Reference, Web

220 pages, Paperback

Published July 24, 2018

Reviews

[Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was super excited to hear this book was being made, especially since Tim works closely with Bram Stein, who’s done some great work to advance typography on the web, as well as has some great pointers in his webfont handbook.

Overall I felt like this book was good, but not great. There were some interesting pointers here and there, but I felt like it could have had a bit more depth to it.

To be fair, I think for someone who’s just getting in to web type this book will be a fantastic way to learn, I just felt for someone in the intermediate level of experience it could have been more detailed.

[Alfredo Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Es un libro muy importante que me hace mucho sentido. Siento que son ideas que vagamente fui formulando o deseando mientras más trabajo en web y/o tipografía, pero aquí se me presentan un poco más establecidas. Siento que falla un poco en explicar el racional detrás del cálculo matemático usado para encontrar una proporción estándar en una tipografía, y es poco específico al hablar del uso de diferentes sistemas y familias tipográficas. Cosas que el diseñador con experiencia puede no extrañar, pero puede distanciar considerablemente al diseñador en formación.
De cualquier forma, muy recomendable. Imprescindible para quienes trabajan diseño en web.

[Kivilcim Kokbil · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I was reading, I thought Tim teaching us a sophisticated language. The idea of expressing your thoughts about every typographic decision in a structured manner is brilliant. I think it is a common problem not being able to expressing our rationale or feeling in many areas. Tim emphasis that idea at the end of the book by saying that we'll build the language we need. Now I'm sure that I'm aligned on this mindset.

[Josh Kinal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book blew my mind several times. There's so much possibility with type on digital devices and the web in particular. Flexible typesetting got me out of the habit of thinking that the type is as it appears and that we have available to us all the options that traditional typesetting had.

Highly recommended.

[Xavier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si bien se adentra en cosas muy, muy técnicas del HTML/CSS que distraen un poco del tema, siento que es un buen libro con buenos insights de cómo trabajar con tipografía en la web.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

The care and dedication of typesetting seems to be limited to the world of print for many designers. Tim brings these concepts to the fluid medium of the web showing techniques that honor user preferences and deliver thoughtful expression. …and with the unfortunate closing of A Book Apart he chose to make it free!

[Lukas · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a joy reading this book. I've learned a lot on how to look at and experience type. I don't want to sound dramatic, but it is one of the few books that learns you how to make something more beautiful and at the same time being practical in its applications. Thank you.